Many people who exercise attribute the change in scenery to their creative bursts—which certainly can't hurt!—but the principle cause is the exercise itself. Newsweek magazine, in their overview of current research on creativity, reports the following about exercise-related creativity:

Almost every dimension of cognition improves from 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and creativity is no exception. The type of exercise doesn't matter, and the boost lasts for at least two hours afterward. However, there's a catch: this is the case only for the physically fit. For those who rarely exercise, the fatigue from aerobic activity counteracts the short-term benefits.

Check out the full article at the link below for more interesting insights on creativity including gems like how you should never tell somebody to be creative—suggesting that they show you how they would solve the problem differently than anyone else, however, doubles creative output.

Have your own creativity-boosting methods to share, exercise related or otherwise? Let's hear about it in the comments.